Defining Characteristics of the Midwest (Columbus, Delaware: home, living, cost of living)

[BajanYankee]

I'm curious to know what some of you consider to be the defining characterstics of the Midwest. What, if anything, distinguishes the Midwest from the Northeast? And what are the common threads, if any, between states like Iowa and Michigan?

Btw, I'm asking because we've been having conversations about regional identity in other forums. I figured it would make sense to ask this question in the Ohio forum, which I've always considered to be quintesentially Midwestern.

[Cleverfield]

Compared to the northeast, slower pace, "nicer", less honking, less aggressive drivers, more farm land, less wealthy, more blue collar, lower cost of living, colder/more snow (though this year might be an exception). That's all I can think of right now.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

Compared to the northeast, slower pace, "nicer", less honking, less aggressive drivers, more farm land, less wealthy, more blue collar, lower cost of living, colder/more snow (though this year might be an exception). That's all I can think of right now.

Thanks for the response.

I'm from originally from Philly and I've always considered many of the things you mentioned as being characteristic of the Northeast. We have a low COL and a large blue collar population. The wealth that's generally associated with NYC and Boston (which is just a small percentage of the population there) is not really present in the Delaware Valley. But your point that the Midwest is cheaper and more blue collar is taken.

[natininja]

I think the main thing was being northern frontier states as the country was expanding west from the original 13 states. The region is too big and diverse to give it a bunch of defining characteristics. (Which obviously also is hard with the Northeast, a much smaller region.)

Contrary to parochial belief by many coastal denizens, Iowa and Ohio are almost nothing alike. If you wonder why I say that, just look at their population densities and the corresponding rankings.

There were a lot more German and (in some areas) Nordic immigrants in the Midwest than in the Northeast, and a lot less Italians and Irish. That's another distinction. I'm not sure about the balance of Eastern Europeans -- both the NE and MW seem to have pockets of them.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by natininja

I think the main thing was being northern frontier states as the country was expanding west from the original 13 states. The region is too big and diverse to give it a bunch of defining characteristics. (Which obviously also is hard with the Northeast, a much smaller region.)

So is it simply geography?

Originally Posted by natininja

Contrary to parochial belief by many coastal denizens, Iowa and Ohio are almost nothing alike. If you wonder why I say that, just look at their population densities and the corresponding rankings.

No, I've never considered Iowa and Ohio to be very similar. I've always associated Ohio with heavy industry and Iowa with corn. It seems that Iowa has become more politically left-leaning than Ohio in recent years as well. And demographically, I would imagine that the two states are very different. Not too many Lebrons and Charles Woodsons coming out of Iowa.

Originally Posted by natininja

There were a lot more German and (in some areas) Nordic immigrants in the Midwest than in the Northeast, and a lot less Italians and Irish. That's another distinction. I'm not sure about the balance of Eastern Europeans -- both the NE and MW seem to have pockets of them.

I tend to agree with this. But others don't. Do you think that these immigrant groups have shaped the identity of the Midwest in a way that makes it distinct from the Northeast (along with obvious factors such as history, industry and geography)?

[bam989863]

Having been raised in the Midwest and living outside the region for the last 5 years before moving back home I think the characteristic that I found many mid westerners have is humility and a general sense of moderation. From my experience people in the Midwest seem to brag less and tend to be satisfied by less physical items then in most areas of the country.

[Dayton Sux]

Defining charactersitics of the Midwest .....a picture is worth a thousand words.

[Scott SW Ohio]

I have lived in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio, among other places. My answer to the OP's question is that there are no strong Midwestern traits or defining Midwest personality. This area is one big crossroads and waves of different cultural influences have left in their wake a pretty mixed bag of lifestyle, moral outlook and philosophy. But that isn't just here. If you get to know enough people from Texas or California or Jersey, you find that most regional stereotypes don't hold up very well. IMO.

[Buckguy99]

Unfortunately, stagnant population growth in the industrial Midwest. The modern waves of immigration have not touched this part of the country as strongly as the southern and western parts of the country.

[natininja]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

So is it simply geography?

Yes. I feel like Ohio's major cities have more in common with Boston and Baltimore than they do with Omaha and Wichita (with Columbus coming the closest to exclusion from that statement).

No, I've never considered Iowa and Ohio to be very similar. I've always associated Ohio with heavy industry and Iowa with corn. It seems that Iowa has become more politically left-leaning than Ohio in recent years as well. And demographically, I would imagine that the two states are very different. Not too many Lebrons and Charles Woodsons coming out of Iowa.

Not saying you, but a ton of people from the Northeast think of Ohio as a rural state. There are, in fact, cornfields in Ohio. But they don't exactly define the state, as they do Iowa. Ohio has a population density similar to France.

I tend to agree with this. But others don't. Do you think that these immigrant groups have shaped the identity of the Midwest in a way that makes it distinct from the Northeast (along with obvious factors such as history, industry and geography)?

I think it gives Midwesterners a certain stoicism. I see it as the most introverted region of the country. That doesn't mean unfriendly, by any stretch. But friendliness and gregariousness is not part of a forced protocol as you might find in the South or West. Authenticity is perhaps more important.

I think part of New England is like that, too, though (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine). And I imagine parts of the less-populated West to also be that way, but I've never been there to know for sure.

I lived in NW Europe for a few years, and the attitude toward work-life balance in the more industrious parts of Europe felt familiar to what I experience in Ohio. I can't say that is from immigration patterns, though, because Italian ancestry sure as hell has not influenced the pace or work ethic of the Northeast.